1
Jake
What the fuck am I doing here?
That was the question I’d asked myself at least a dozen times since arriving in Reedsport, South Carolina one week ago. Seriously though. What the fuck had I been thinking? I’d given up my spacious condo in Atlanta, not to mention a position with more potential at the Atlanta PD, to move to a town with fewer than 10,000 people. On a whim, I’d followed my best friend, Beckett Sanders, across state lines when he came here to start a new life with his boyfriend, even though I had no real reason to. Now I was beginning to have serious doubts about my sanity.
The tiny two-bedroom house I was renting was less than desirable, with single-paned windows, chipped countertops, and weak water pressure. The living room was just barely large enough for my sofa, and I’d have to sell the second bookshelf. There just wasn’t enough room for it here.
I’d just finished unpacking another box of movies when my phone rang. Without looking, I knew it was my mom. She’d called me every day this week.
“Hey, Mom,” I said as I tapped the speakerphone button on the screen.
“Jacob,” she greeted in an unusually calm voice. Either her yoga class went well this morning, or she was trying extra hard to keep her emotions in check. Probably the latter. She hadn’t been happy about me moving to the coast. “How’s my only son?”
“Only child, you mean? I’m good. Still unpacking. I’m about done for the day though.”
I heard her tsk. “So, you haven’t changed your mind?”
“No, I haven’t. Not since the last time you asked me or the time before that. I told you I’m going to give at least a year here, maybe two.”
She paused. “I just don’t like you living on the coast. Those hurricanes—"
“Iknow.” I cut her off. It was the same conversation every time.But what about those hurricanes, Jacob? How will you find a decent man in such a tiny town, Jacob? How will you build a real career in such a small police department, Jacob?I didn’t have any answers for her or to my own pestering questions for that matter, so I needed to steer her in a new direction.
“How’s work going?” I asked.
“Oh, it’s good,” she replied with a little more cheer. Mom was the office manager to one of the largest travel agencies in Albany, New York. She started working there about a year after my dad died, and even though she still missed him to this day, she had somehow learned to be happy with the group of friends she’d found at the agency. It helped that her job gave her the opportunity to travel several times a year too.
“Have you found a new assistant yet?”
“Not yet, but soon,” she replied. “At least, I hope. I can’t do this job alone.”
I laughed. “You’re superwoman, Mom. You can do anything.”
“You’re the hero, Jacob, not me. Oh, that reminds me…”
I tuned her out. For two weeks now, I’d listened to her spout off all thefacts she’d found online about crime in Reedsport and the surrounding areas. Being married to a cop for twenty years did that to a person—heightened their natural fear and worries—because they knew what the police force went through on a daily basis. It never went away. I knew my job was hard on her, but I still wouldn’t trade it. I loved what I did and was damn proud to do it. Still, I did wonder sometimes if I would have made Dad proud by going into law enforcement. Growing up, he hadn’t pushed for me to follow in his footsteps, but I liked to think he was looking down on me with pride.
“Jake!”
Her stern voice cut through my thoughts.
“Sorry. What?”
She chuckled. “I asked if Reedsport has any trained K9s.”
“Oh. Um, yeah, they do. Two of them, I think, if I remember right.”
“You should try to get one,” she encouraged.
I rolled my eyes. “They’re not pets, Mom. They’re trained to protect the citizens. Not just the officer they work with,” I quickly added because I knew that would be her next argument.
She huffed. “Please. Those dogs are spoiled just like normal dogs when they aren’t on duty.”
A soft alarm starting buzzing from my phone, making me realize what time it was.
“Hey, Mom, I gotta go. I need to jump into the shower and head over to Beckett’s for the barbeque. I’ll call you in a few days.”
